Editorials

November 10, 1999

NASA's future

Splitting space and aviation safety is one possibility

With each passing year since 1994, the total number of dollars for aviation funding has fallen inside the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Even as air traffic continues to grow, fewer dollars are available for key research projects. In 1994, aeronautics funding was almost $1 billion; funding for the current fiscal year will be about $620 million.

Thus, the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton faces uncertainty. Federal budget constraints and the huge financial outlays set aside for projects like the International Space Station are hampering the center.

It's appropriate for key decision-makers to consider the possibility of splitting the "aeronautics" and "space" components in NASA. Maybe it makes more sense for the aviation safety programs to be part of, say, the Federal Aviation Administration. Surely, the nuts and bolts work of aviation safety, airframe systems, transport experiments and wind tunnels is vital, even though it may not carry the same cachet as space exploration.

For instance, this week NASA and Honeywell are testing a system that would allow planes to land safely in bad weather, on parallel runways spaced as closely as 2,500 feet apart. Currently, the minimum runway separation during low visibility is 4,300 feet, meaning that some airports have to shut down runways during inclement weather. The new system could mean fewer delays for air passengers, more money for the airlines, and less new runway construction.

Such systems don't always get a lot of publicity. Yet they help show why NASA, and its aviation research, are so important.

Realignment might not be the answer. But NASA's supporters must find ways to get aviation safety into its own light, out of the shadow of space exploration.

The next speaker

Hamilton's moderate stance will work against him

If you thought the recent legislative campaign was bloody, you haven't seen anything yet. But the follow-up campaign is being waged behind the scenes among the select group - 53 Republicans to be exact - empowered to select the next speaker of the House of Delegates.

Four names are being mentioned, with two as the main contenders. Vance Wilkins of Amherst is the party's recognized leader in the House because he has been the minority floor leader for years. John Rust of Fairfax is a logical opponent because he represents Northern Virginia, to which political power is flowing as fast as a BMW on I-95.

In case of a deadlock, some think Lacey Putney of Bedford, the lone independent in the House, would be an alternative. That's because Putney sided with the Republicans during the last term, making the political split 50-50 and giving the GOP power it would not have had. But after a century of patience, Republicans are not going to give up their first chance to be in complete control.

And that brings up Phil Hamilton of Newport News. His letter addressed to "Dear Republican Colleague" earlier this week leaves no doubt that he's interested in being speaker. And why couldn't a Republican with Hamilton's credentials as a moderate, independent thinker fit the bill if there's a standoff between Wilkins and Rust?

That would certainly be a blessing for this region, which has watched the power of its delegation ebb in recent years. The most recent loss, in fact, is a direct outcome of the new Republican majority, which ends Norfolk Democrat Tom Moss's days as speaker.

But the answer to why Hamilton is at best a long shot may well be found in the phrase "moderate, independent thinker." Hamilton has, in fact, been too independent. For him to become the speaker, 27 Republican House members would have to be willing to say publicly that they're willing to buck Gov. Gilmore, as Hamilton has.

Independence may come easy for Hamilton, who has seldom faced serious opposition on Election Day. It is more difficult for his House colleagues who relied heavily on the governor for campaign funding this year.

While voters have a lot at stake in this race, it is one of those backroom political decisions to which the public is not invited. So it's fine to wish Hamilton well for the sake of the region, but there's nothing to do but wait for the outcome.

Water saver

Low-flow tanks aid environment and wallets

On Saturday, 480 homeowners came to the Old Hampton Community Center to pick up free, water- efficient toilets to replace their old flush-guzzlers. The exchange will save them money and reduce water consumption.

As the area grows, households must find more such ways to conserve water.

In typical homes, toilets consume 42 percent of the water. Households that trade in 5-gallon-per flush toilets for the new 1.6-gallon toilets should save at least $30 each year on water bills.

The exchange was the result of cooperation between the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, Newport News Waterworks and the Hampton Roads Water Efficiency Team (HR WET). The local players won a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to organize this exchange.

There's also a recycling angle to this program. The old toilets are to be crushed, then spread on river bottoms near oyster reefs. The Virginia Marine Resources Commission believes that tiny oysters will attach and grow on the porcelain as a stand-in for oyster shells.

The main point, though, is that using less water is good for the environment and for homeowners' wallets. This program should expand.